Hard to argue that the NFL doesn’t discriminate against defensive players.

Call it the wussification of professional football.

These days physical plays – like a battering ram style hit – receive flags. And physical players fear lofty fines when they do their job, which is to make a jarring hit that dislodges the ball, or punishes an offensive player.

That play apparently caught the attention of former NFL safety Rodney Harrison and former Tampa Bay and Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, who both argued that Bell made a clean play during NBC Football America.

“What’s legal? What’s illegal? That’s a perfect hit,” Harrison asked after watching the replay of Bell’s hit to Bowe. ”Yeremiah Bell is taught by the coaches, as you know, Tony, to lead with your shoulder pad. He led [with the shoulder]. His helmet was to the side. Perfect hit by Bell.”

Dungy, who played cornerback in the NFL, agreed with Harrison, saying Bell made a textbook hit and was confused by the laundry that appeared on the field when Bell was flagged with a personal foul for striking Bowe with force.

“I would be asking the referee right now, ‘What did I do wrong?’ That is textbook,” Dungy said. “We’ve seen a lot of this. They are erring on the side of caution but it’s costing teams 15 yards.”

Harrison: “Hopefully he doesn’t get fined.”

Dungy: “Oh no, he won’t. He can’t on that hit.”

Bell will be on the lookout for a FedEx envelop this week, and if it comes he’ll likely appeal the fine.

All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the bunch. I hope every Dolphin player commits to performing well. The end of this season can see a lot of them out of football, and they’ll wish they were still making that NFL coin.

I will admit when I saw the play at full speed at first, I thought Bell hit him out of bounds and thought that was the flag, after seeing th replay just once, I had to ask myself “why isnt this kind of penalty a changeable play?” Because it looked to me to be a perfect hit and one that should have never drawn a flag….but in the end, the refs ALWAYS CHEAT THE DOLPHINS WITH PENALTIES!!!

OMAR KELLY was unsuccessful at achieving his childhood dream to become a super hero, so he figured he'd do the next best thing and become a journalist who fights against injustice, and searches for truth. After being bored to death reporting news and covering politics, he switched to sports.
More

IZZY GOULD joined the Sun Sentinel in Feb. 2012 as a Senior Sports Reporter on the Miami Dolphins beat. He came to South Florida fresh off covering the University of Alabama football program, including its 2011 national championship team. More